CONAGUA Foments the Exchange of Experiences to Develop the Hydric Sector in America

- The 2030 Water Agenda is one example of how a long term and inclusive vision can represent an efficient guarantee of a sustainable management of hydric resources.

- America works on a vision of the future with guaranteed access to water, the inclusion of hydric resources in climate change mitigation policies, and aligned efforts in matters dealing with water and food security.

MEXICO CITY, March 16, 2012 /CNW/ - Mexico's National Water Commission (CONAGUA) played an important role in the 6th World Water Forum held in Marseilles, France in the area of water for the Americas, together with Brazil heading the preparation of the regional platform together during the three years before the forum.

America is the second largest continent in the world after only Asia, with more than 900 million inhabitants living in 35 countries. The continent holds a wide variety of cultures and customs that present transversal challenges to the establishment of long-term plans that extend beyond the presidential terms of each nation, but that are necessary in order to guarantee a sustainable use of different natural resources, including water.

The Mexican CONAGUA has over the past three years shown a firm commitment in its support for preparation of the Forum, calling on different public and private actors in the region to work on matters such as climate change, water and wastewater, food security, governance, the human right to water and more. Various preparatory meetings were also held in Mexico City, where the Regional Policy Dialogue on Water and Climate Change was drafted, together with the IDB, Consejo Consultivo del Agua, the Foundation FEMSA and other actors.

One of the objectives proposed calls for half of the countries on the continent to reduce the gap between those with and without to water by 50% of the 2008 statistic, by 2020. Efforts currently underway seek for an additional 15% of all national or local plans for climate change, to include the topic of hydric resources by 2015. And a final proposal seeks to increase the productivity of rain-fed and irrigated lands by 15% in 2015, in comparison with 2005-2007 figures, all with the final goal of food security at accessible prices, by the year 2050.

According to Jose Luis Luege, General Director of CONAGUA, the American continent faces important challenges if it is to achieve the development that it has always dreamed. This will require hard work by all, but one way to achieve this goal is by working together, through cooperation, and through the exchange of experiences. The Government of Mexico and CONAGUA are therefore working to foment dialogue and cooperation in order to have an America that appropriately manages its hydric resources.